


Pending

by MCUsic_to_my_ears



Series: ScienceBrosWeek2017 [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anxiety, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Banner Feels, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Emails, Gen, Physics, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 20:44:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11471355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MCUsic_to_my_ears/pseuds/MCUsic_to_my_ears
Summary: When Bruce is waiting for an important email about a conference to come in, Tony is right there, ready to reassure him that they'll accept him.For day two of Science Bros Week 2017.Prompt: Pending





	Pending

“Dude, you need to chill out. It’s going to come in…” Tony checked his watch, holding a half-eaten slice of pizza in the same hand, “In twelve minutes. So it’s not like you need to wait much longer. Plus, I thought you were already accepted and they’re just sending a confirmation email.”

“If there were true, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.” Bruce refused to look up from the screen he was constantly refreshing as he spoke. A now cold piece of pizza sat near his right elbow, forgotten by the anxious physicist.

“Then who confirms their speakers one week before their conference?” Tony asked the doctor incredulously.

Bruce huffed a little. “While, yes, the conference I’m going to next week is the same one they’re emailing me about, the one I’d possibly be speaking at is not until next year.”

“Then if they’re stupid enough to reject you, you’ll have a year to change their mind," Tony scoffed, "But that doesn’t change the fact that we’re down a minute and your anxiety isn’t down a notch. What gives?”

Looking back at the engineer quickly, Bruce’s eyes flashed with mild panic. “Less time just means that their decision is going to be real sooner. And that I can’t run away from said choice.”

Tony rolled his eyes, “Why do you want to run away?” he asked. He kept it light, but he couldn’t keep his chest from clenching a little at the thought of his fellow genius leaving. Not again, not after all they went through to get Bruce back.

“I just- What if they reject me and then-”

The engineer cut him off with a sharp look as he took a bite of his pizza. “ _If_ they reject you,” he stressed, knowing Bruce’s mind was using a ‘when’ even if his mouth wasn’t. “Then we’ll know they’re assholes who wouldn’t know good science even if it slapped them so hard they actually understood the math behind Einstein's theories of relativity, rather than just understanding their unbased beliefs that you’re _relatively_ less than fucking fantastic. _Therefore_ , you shouldn’t get your worth all tied up in their singular email and instead get it entangled with my sonnets about your glorious little brain and or chest hair.”

“My worth is not _tied_ _up_ in this email,” Bruce grumbled sullenly, even though he’d laughed through almost the entirety of Tony’s impromptu speech. “It would just be nice to know what’s going to happen without having to you know- find out.”

Spinning the physicist’s chair around, Tony looked at him, unamused. “Then take a nine minute power nap,” he answered sarcastically, finishing off his pizza and wiping his hands on his jeans. “I’ll wake you up when their email comes a-knockin.'” His grin faltered a bit when Bruce turned back to face the laptop.

“ _Tony_ ,” he glanced away from the screen momentarily, “Can you please leave me alone?”

“ _Bruce_ ,” Tony mocked, but only a little, since he understood why Bruce was stressed. “I’m here to support you. To pull out the champagne when they’re like, ‘Yo, Doc B, please come speak about them there dope ass positrons at our conference. Pack your bags, we’re flying you to Italy next year.’”

The genius stared at him for a moment. “I hope to _God_ they don’t phrase it like that,” he deadpanned. Tony snorted and reached over his friend to hit refresh for him.

“Anything?” the doctor asked.

Tony glanced over Bruce’s shoulder. “Nah. Or at least not yet. Chill out, man.”

Forcing his shoulders to relax, Bruce turned back around to look at the laptop.

“You know, I could get this bad boy hooked up to our hologram system. Then when they send their best rendition of falling on their knees and begging for you to come, it can be seen in all it’s blue, 3D glory.”

Bruce looked around the lab, at the various sensors that would bleed that blue light if one of them ordered them to make it so. He shook his head. “No. This one is private. Even though I know you’ll be reading over my shoulder, if it’s not displayed in neon light, then it feels more real and less like a fairytale slash nightmare.”

Nodding, the engineer pulled himself up onto the counter next to the physicist. “I get it. Although I’d prefer it if you had excluded those last three syllables from your sentence since you’re obviously going to get in. The only question is if they’re going to slot you before or after the German guy.”

“Doctor Jochen Heisenberg lives in New Hampshire now and he’s a genius when it comes to electroexcitations- the very thing that brings about the anti-electrons you’re so fond of,” Bruce both corrected and chided. Tony had forgotten how sly Bruce could get even when he was just relaying information.

“I thought Heisenberg was dead…” Tony remarked, unfazed.

The physicist shook his head, clearly exasperated, his sarcasm replaced by his anxiety, “You’re thinking of his father,” he muttered.

Tony rolled his eyes for what felt like the millionth time that day, “I just want to know if they consider you more or less impressive than junior. That’s all,” the engineer defended, joking.

Bruce huffed out a laugh under his breath, still staring at the screen. “They wouldn’t release that yet. Besides, it’s not like I would- I would-”

“Would what? Bruce, it’s not like you would what?” Tony asked, jumping down from his spot and leaning over Bruce’s shoulder.

 

_Dear Dr. Bruce Banner,_

 

_The National Institute for Nuclear Physics would be delighted to invite you to speak at the International School of Physics in Varenna, Italy, on 19 July 2018. The subject of this conference is, as always, nuclear physics and we believe your work to be some of the best in this field and is truly pushing research into the future. Please RSVP with Sara Pirrone (contact information on our website) along with the key points you wish to present by 15 December 2017. Thank you very much. We are excited to hear your newest findings._

 

_Sincerely,_

_Agostino Marinelli_

_SLAC_

 

“Fucking told you, asshole!” Tony shouted happily, shaking Bruce’s shoulders a bit in his excitement.

Grinning widely, Bruce demanded, “Why am I the asshole now?” But there was no heat behind his words.

“Because you didn’t believe me. You should always believe me. Rule number one of Stark Tower should be to always and forever trust and cherish its namesake.”

“Is that so?” Bruce asked cheekily, looking up at Tony.

The engineer smiled, “Yessiree. Starting right now, you should cherish me by eating that goddamn piece of pizza.”

Bruce laughed, “Sure thing, Mr. Stark, a man whom I trust and cherish with all my heart and soul,” he replied sarcastically, holding a hand to his chest as if overcome with his respect for the billionaire.

“That’s more like it, buddy!” Tony ruffled his science bro’s hair. “Now can we please stop refreshing the page? You’re giving me whiplash.”

Bruce gave a cheeky smile. “I just wanted to make sure it was real.”


End file.
